Analysts Set Kirby Corporation (NYSE:KEX) PT at $146.20

Shares of Kirby Corporation (NYSE:KEX) have been assigned a consensus recommendation of “Moderate Buy” from the seven analysts that are covering the firm, Marketbeat.com reports. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a hold rating and six have given a buy rating to the company. The average 12 month price target among brokerages that have issued a report on the stock in the last year is $146.20.

Several research analysts have issued reports on KEX shares. BTIG Research increased their target price on shares of Kirby from $160.00 to $170.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a report on Thursday, April 30th. Citigroup raised their price target on shares of Kirby from $147.00 to $160.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a report on Thursday, April 9th. Weiss Ratings upgraded shares of Kirby from a “hold (c+)” rating to a “buy (b-)” rating in a report on Friday, May 29th. Zacks Research upgraded shares of Kirby from a “strong sell” rating to a “hold” rating in a report on Friday, March 13th. Finally, Wall Street Zen upgraded shares of Kirby from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating in a report on Saturday, June 13th.

Kirby Stock Down 0.0%

Shares of Kirby stock opened at $136.76 on Wednesday. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.29, a current ratio of 1.59 and a quick ratio of 1.01. Kirby has a 1 year low of $79.51 and a 1 year high of $157.69. The firm’s 50-day moving average is $143.81 and its two-hundred day moving average is $131.72. The stock has a market cap of $7.32 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 21.04, a PEG ratio of 1.40 and a beta of 0.82.

Kirby (NYSE:KEX) last issued its earnings results on Thursday, April 30th. The shipping company reported $1.50 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $1.41 by $0.09. Kirby had a net margin of 10.51% and a return on equity of 10.62%. The company had revenue of $844.10 million for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $832.57 million. During the same period in the prior year, the business earned $1.33 EPS. The firm’s quarterly revenue was up 7.4% on a year-over-year basis. Kirby has set its FY 2026 guidance at 6.650-7.280 EPS. As a group, research analysts expect that Kirby will post 6.99 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Insider Activity

In other news, VP Amy D. Husted sold 4,000 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction dated Friday, May 15th. The shares were sold at an average price of $145.43, for a total value of $581,720.00. Following the sale, the vice president directly owned 10,814 shares in the company, valued at approximately $1,572,680.02. This trade represents a 27.00% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through this hyperlink. Also, VP Ronald A. Dragg sold 1,726 shares of Kirby stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, May 4th. The stock was sold at an average price of $145.01, for a total transaction of $250,287.26. Following the completion of the sale, the vice president owned 8,673 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $1,257,671.73. This trade represents a 16.60% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this sale is available in the SEC filing. Insiders have sold a total of 17,691 shares of company stock valued at $2,579,036 over the last 90 days. 0.80% of the stock is currently owned by corporate insiders.

Institutional Trading of Kirby

Institutional investors have recently bought and sold shares of the stock. Oak Thistle LLC acquired a new stake in Kirby in the 4th quarter worth approximately $1,422,000. Intech Investment Management LLC boosted its stake in Kirby by 239.4% in the 3rd quarter. Intech Investment Management LLC now owns 15,762 shares of the shipping company’s stock worth $1,315,000 after purchasing an additional 11,118 shares in the last quarter. King Luther Capital Management Corp boosted its stake in Kirby by 3.0% in the 4th quarter. King Luther Capital Management Corp now owns 1,617,100 shares of the shipping company’s stock worth $178,172,000 after purchasing an additional 47,099 shares in the last quarter. Citigroup Inc. boosted its stake in Kirby by 60.1% in the 3rd quarter. Citigroup Inc. now owns 44,665 shares of the shipping company’s stock worth $3,727,000 after purchasing an additional 16,772 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Hound Partners LLC acquired a new stake in Kirby in the 3rd quarter worth approximately $11,085,000. 96.15% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

About Kirby

Kirby Corporation is a leading domestic maritime transporter of bulk liquid products in the United States. Through its Marine Transportation segment, the company operates one of North America’s largest fleets of inland tank barges and towing vessels. Kirby’s fleet moves petrochemicals, black oil, refined petroleum products and agricultural chemicals along coastal and inland waterways, providing critical logistical support to energy, chemical and agricultural producers.

In addition to its marine operations, Kirby’s Distribution and Services segment offers diesel engine and power generation services, along with aftermarket parts sales.